Car-door-operating mechanism.



A. E. ZIMMER.

GAB DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.-

A TTORNEY A. E. ZIMMER. GAR DOOR OPERATING MECHANI SM.

APPLICATION FILED APR.27, 1912.

1,059,422. Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

2 BHBETS-BHEET 2.

ATTORNEYS STATES PATENT OFFICE.

humans column, or cnrcaeo, rumors; A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

OAR-DOOB-OPEBATING MECHANISM.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

4 To all whom it may concern:

of a car door mechanism, when unloading,

with perfect safety to the operator.

Formerly, in car door mechanisms in many cases, -it has not beencustomary to provide any sort of clutch mechanism between the o cratingshaft and the door, so that when t e operating shaft is unwound, theload on the door tends to speed up the rotation of the operating-shaftand thereby take with it the wrench or claw-bar used by the operator in'starting the unwinding operation, and this often results in severe inuryto theoperator. In other cases, it has n customary to place a clutch orloose connection in the car door operating mechanism, but so far as I amaware, these clutches or loose connections are provided so as to allowless than a complete independent rotation between the member immediatelyoperated uponby the wrenchor claw-bar and the operating or windingshaftv proper so that in cases where it is necessary to have a completeor more than a single rotation of the operating shaft in unwinding, itis found that the load will turn the operating shaft near the final 0 enposition 0 the car door and hence wil twist the wrench or claw-bar fromthe hands of the operator and injure the latter.

The improvements which I have shown and herein describe are so arrangedthat the same may be adapted for operating shafts which require eitherless than a complete r0 tat'ion or a plurality of rotations in unwind-'ing and may be operated without injury to the operator.

My invention furthermore consists in the improvements in the arts anddevices and in the novel combinations of parts and devices herein shown,described or claimed.

I In the drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is apartial planview of a car body underframe, showing my improvemeuts inconnection therewith, the

.ranged actuating shaft 23.

parts being broken ,awa to more clearly show the construction. ig. 2 isa partial, vertical,- sectional view, taken substantially on the line.2-2 of Fig. 1,and also showing in elevation a .portion of the side ofthe car and the end of the operating shaft and immediate parts connectedtherewith. Fig..3 1s a plan view of the clutch operating mechanismproper. Fig. 4 is an end view of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5is a longitudinal, sectional view of one of the clutch members. Fig. '6'is a side elevation showing my improvements applied to the end of anactuating shaft, and Figs. 7 and 8 are detail, perspective views of theend of the actuating shaft and one of the clutch members, respectively.

In the'drawings, 10, 10

denote the center V Arthur in. autumn, or cr'ncaoo, rumors, AssIGNon r0niw'rnnrnrsn RAILWAY sills of a dump car towhich my improvements areadapted to be ap lied, and mounted on these center sills anti laterallyof the car is the operating shaft 11, the same being provided with adrum 12 having an extension 13 to which is pivoted a link 14, the latterhaving pivoted thereto.

at its opposite end a link 15, to which is pivotally seoured hook shapedlinks 16,'the atter belng pivotally connected at their lower endtoieye-bolts 17 secured in the free. ends of h1nged drop bottom doors18. The

mechanism which I have just described for extending lifting and closingthe hinged doors may be of any suitable or well known form other thanthat which I have described, and it is immaterial to my invention whatsort of winding CODIIBCtlO-DS' are used. On each side of the windingdrum 12 and keyed to the shaft 11 are chain winding drums. 19, overwhich run' winding and unwinding chains 20 and 21 between the actuatingshaft being secured at their outer ends to a winding drum 22, keyed to atransversely ar- Other means than that which I have described may besubstituted for the winding and unwindin' chains 20 and 21. betwen theactuating sha 23 and the operating shaft 11, or in some instances, theoperatin shaft 11 may itself be extended to either 1'. e side of thecar, or, when arranged longitudinally of the car, may have its endsextended to the ends of the car, and have the clutch device, about to bedescribed, applied thereto, and thereby omitting the actuating shaft 23entirely. The actuating shaft 23 is extended tothe side of the car, andas shown morejclearly in Fig. 7, is provided with a square portion 24and outer cylindrical portions 25 and 26, respectively, the latter beingsomewhat smaller in diameter than the portion 25.

Non=rotatably mounted on the squared portion 24 of the actuating shaft23 is a shaft, said hollow clutch member 27 the latter being formed witha bearing portion 28 adapted to be mounted in a journal bearing member29 (see Fi 1) secured to one of the car frame mem ers. The'clutch member27 has preferably integrally formed therewith a ratchet 28, of the usualconstruction, and with whichv cooperates a pivoted pawl or dog 29adapted to be locked by the usual form of locking cam 30, as shown inFig. 2. The interior of the hollow clutch member 27 is provided with aspiral groove 31, which .may have one 'or more complete convolu tions,always slightlyin excess of and depending upon the number of rotationsnecessary to wind and unwind the operating oove 31 being provided ateach end thereo witha limiting stop 32. The second member of the clutchdevice, as more clearl shown in Fig; 8, comprises a hollow, cylindricalmember 33, adapted to fit on the cylindricalportion 25 of the end of theactuating shaft, said member 33 being provided also with an integrallyformed In or, projection 34 which moves in the spira groove 31 and'whichlimits the amount of rotation of the member 33 relatively to the member27 when the same engages the limiting stops 32 at the ends of the groove31. The outer end of the clutch member 33 is provided with a squaredhead 35, the latter being provided with a cylindrical bore 36 adapted tofit the reduced cylindrical end 26 of the actuating shaft" 23. Thesquared end or head 35 is adapted to'receive and be rotated by a wrench,claw-bar or other suitable device for winding and unwinding theoperating shaft. I p

In assembling the mechanism, the clutch member 33 has its lug 34 firstinserted through the circular opening 37.at the outer end of the otherclutch member 27, and the member 33 with the lug 34 moving in the groove31 is then rotated until the member 33 is within the member 27.Thereupon, the shaft23 has its cylindrical ends 25 and 26 and thesquared portion 24 inserted through,

the member 27 and member 33, and as will be obvious, these members areself locked in position. By forming the ratchet wheel integral with oneof the clutch members, it will be seen that the entire device isexceedingly compact and one which can be cheaply manufactured.

I have shown and described one form of my invention, but it will beapparent that many changes andtvariations may be made in the details ofconstruction thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention,and all such changes and modifications are contemplated as fall withinthe scope of the appended claims.

1. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, aishaft and aclutch device connected therewith, said 'device comprising a membernon-rotatably mounted on the shaft, and another member rotatably mountedand adapted to move. longitudinally along the shaft, one of said membershaving a spiral groove, and the other a lug working in said groove,whereby the two members are rotatable independently of each other.

2.. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, a shaft and aclutch device connected therewith, said device comprising a membernon-rotatably mounted on the shaft,

and a second member rotatably mounted on the shaft andadapted to movelongitudinally therealong, one of said members being provided with aspiral groove, the number of convolutions of which exceed the number ofrotations required of the shaft in closing the car doors, and beingprovided with a limiting stop at each end thereof, and the other of saidclutch members being provided with a lug working in said groove andlimited in its rotations relative to the first named clutch member bysaid stops.

3. In a car door operating mechanism, in

' combination, a shaft and a clutch device connected therewith, saiddevice comprising a member non-rotatably mounted on the shaft, saidmember having a spiral groove therein, and a second member rotatablymounted on the shaft and adapted to -move longitudinally .therealong,and provided with an integral lug coiiperating with said spiral groove.

4. In a car door 0 crating mechanism, in

combination, a sha t and a clutch device connected therewith, saiddevice comprising a hollow member non-rotatably mounted on the shaft andprovided with a spiral groove on the interior thereof, said spiralgroove being provided with limiting stops at each end thereof, and asecond member rotatably mounted on the shaft and provided with anintegral lug on the exterior thereof adapted to work in andcotiperatewith said spiral groove.

5. In a car door operating mechanism, combination, a shaft and a-clutchdevice connected therewith, said device comprising-a 'membernon-rotatably mounted on the shaft and having formed integrallytherewith a ratchet wheel, and a second member rotatably mounted, one ofsaid members being provided with a spiral groove and the other with alug movable. in said groove.

6. In a car door operatin mechanism, in combination, a shaft and a cutch device connected therewith, said clutch device compris iso ing amember non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a second member rotatableindependently of said first named member and movable longitudinallyrelatively thereto, one of said members being provided with a spiralgroove, and having limiting stops at each end thereof, and the othermember being provided with a lug working in said groove and having ahead adapted to receive a claw bar and be rotated thereby, one of saidmembers having formed integrally therewith a bearing-hub and a ratchetwheel 7. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, a shafthaving a squared portion and a clutch device connected therewith, saidclutch device comprising a hollow member secured to said shaft on thesquared portion, and being provided alsowith a spiral groove on itsinterior, said spiral groove having stops at each end thereof, and saidmember being furthermore provided with an integrally formed ratchetwheel, and a second clutch member adapted to fit within the first namedclutch member and rotatable relatively thereto, and having also a lugformed integrally therewith, said lug bein adapted to move in the spiralgroove, sai second named clutch member having a squared end by which thesame may be rotated by a wrench or other suitable means.

8,. In combination, hinged car doors, an operating shaft and connectionsbetween [snark] said shaft and the free ends of the car doors,

an actuating shaftand connections between said operating shaft and theactuatin Shaft, a clutch device on the actuating sha t comprising ahollow member non-rotat-ably mounted on the shaft and spiral groove onthe interior thereof, and having also formed integrally therewith aratchet wheel, and a second clutch member rotatably mounted on the shafthaving formedintegrally therewith a lug to move in the spiral groove,said second named clutch member being provided also rovided with a.

adapted with a squared end by which the latter may be rotated and apivoted pawl and pawl locking member cooperating with the ratchet wheel.

9. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, an actuatingshaft, and a clutch device connected therew1th, said clutch de- H. M.MUNDAY.

It ishereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,059,422, grantedApril 22,

1913, upon the application of Albert E. Zimmer, of Chicago, Illinois,for an improve ment Car-Door-Operating Mechanism, errors appear in theprinted specification requiring correction as follows; Page 1, line 95,strike out the words between the actuating shaft and insert the commasand words, reepectv'mely, the latter; same page, line 101, for the wordbetwen' read between; page 3, line 6, strike out the word and; andthatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein,

that the same may conform to the record pf the case in the PatentOfiice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of May, A. D., 1918.

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

ing a member non-rotatably mounted on said shaft, a second memberrotatable independently of said first named member and movablelongitudinally relatively thereto, one of said members being providedwith a spiral groove, and having limiting stops at each end thereof, andthe other member being provided with a lug working in said groove andhaving a head adapted to receive a claw bar and be rotated thereby, oneof said members having formed integrally therewith a bearing-hub and aratchet wheel 7. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, ashaft having a squared portion and a clutch device connected therewith,said clutch device comprising a hollow member secured to said shaft onthe squared portion, and being provided alsowith a spiral groove on itsinterior, said spiral groove having stops at each end thereof, and saidmember being furthermore provided with an integrally formed ratchetwheel, and a second clutch member adapted to fit within the first namedclutch member and rotatable relatively thereto, and having also a lugformed integrally therewith, said lug bein adapted to move in the spiralgroove, sai second named clutch member having a squared end by which thesame may be rotated by a wrench or other suitable means.

8,. In combination, hinged car doors, an operating shaft and connectionsbetween [snark] said shaft and the free ends of the car doors,

an actuating shaftand connections between said operating shaft and theactuatin Shaft, a clutch device on the actuating sha t comprising ahollow member non-rotat-ably mounted on the shaft and spiral groove onthe interior thereof, and having also formed integrally therewith aratchet wheel, and a second clutch member rotatably mounted on the shafthaving formedintegrally therewith a lug to move in the spiral groove,said second named clutch member being provided also rovided with a.

adapted with a squared end by which the latter may be rotated and apivoted pawl and pawl locking member cooperating with the ratchet wheel.

9. In a car door operating mechanism, in combination, an actuatingshaft, and a clutch device connected therew1th, said clutch de- H. M.MUNDAY.

It ishereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,059,422, grantedApril 22,

1913, upon the application of Albert E. Zimmer, of Chicago, Illinois,for an improve ment Car-Door-Operating Mechanism, errors appear in theprinted specification requiring correction as follows; Page 1, line 95,strike out the words between the actuating shaft and insert the commasand words, reepectv'mely, the latter; same page, line 101, for the wordbetwen' read between; page 3, line 6, strike out the word and; andthatthe said Letters Patent should be read with these correctionstherein,

that the same may conform to the record pf the case in the PatentOfiice.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of May, A. D., 1918.

C. C. BILLINGS,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

